Iwao Hakamada was sentenced to death in 1966 for the murder of four members of his family in what is now Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City. He has consistently maintained his innocence and the trial was rescheduled in March.
A rally of supporters and others was held in Tokyo on the 4th, and Mr. Hiroaki Murayama, the presiding judge who approved the start of the retrial, gave a lecture. It was the first time he had seen Mr. Hakamda face to face.